


Maybe It Was Fate

by SouthForWinter



Series: EC Week 2021 [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: EC Week 2021, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-21 13:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30022140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthForWinter/pseuds/SouthForWinter
Summary: For EC Week 2021. Day Two: Student/Teacher AU
Relationships: Evil Queen | Regina Mills/Prince Charming | David Nolan
Series: EC Week 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2207400
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	Maybe It Was Fate

David had made sure to get to class early again so he could snag one of the front seats. He wasn’t a kid anymore and he adjusted the frames of his glasses, unused to wearing them for this long during the day. He really only needed them while he was reading, but being back in school meant an extra four hours a day. 

He’d been in construction since he could walk, his father bringing him to sites before it was probably really legal, and he’d fallen in love with watching buildings appear from nothing. 

David had done what was expected of him, following in his father’s footsteps, working with him through high school and his two year college degree. He’d wanted to go for his bachelor’s, but his dad had been unwilling to spend the money and lose David for that much time. 

Eventually, he’d taken over the company, and though his passion was to become an architect, his father’s disappointment that he’d want to be anything other than a construction worker like his old man had kept him from pursuing his dream. Until now that was. 

His father had passed away last year, and David had people in his company he trusted to run the business in the afternoons when he wasn’t there. Emma had been raised in it the way he had, and Phillip had a head for business, keeping their office organized and running like a well oiled machine. 

He could have gone back just to study architecture, but he wanted to weave in all of those classes he’d longed to take twenty years ago when he’d been a fresh faced eighteen year old. 

All of his classes were enjoyable, but he had to admit this one - philosophy - was his favorite. And not just because he found the professor distractingly attractive. She came across as a hard-ass, but she was a fantastic teacher, passionate and dedicated, demanding when it came to students putting in the work, but not unreasonably so. It was one of his most engaging classes and he felt himself actually understanding the content she assigned.

There were three students already there when he stepped into the classroom. A girl sitting about halfway back, earbuds in, foot bouncing to the rhythm of the music in her ears while she worked on homework for some other class most likely, and then two boys, both sitting as close to their professor’s desk as the room set up would allow, and David shook his head with a smile. 

Professor Mills hadn’t even arrived yet, but there were still a good twenty minutes before class started. David made his way to front row center, the best space to be able to clearly see anything being written or presented. 

He’d made sure to space out his classes a bit more than usual so he didn’t feel rushed and he could make sure to get a good seat. It also gave him a little more time to work on assignments before he got home; always helpful since he was still running a business. 

There were a few subjects he was a little rusty in, but the main courses he was taking, math and drafting, he’d been studying independently at home for years in preparation for this day. Drafting wasn’t something he could easily work on anywhere outside of designated spaces, but he had a notebook of rough sketches he carried around with him to work on. Today he pulled out his math book. He’d managed to finish the majority of it in the gap between his last classes, but there were still a few problems left. He pulled out his notebook and pencil and got to work solving the provided problems, only vaguely aware of the other students beginning to filter in. He finished five minutes before class started and put everything away. 

As he was opening the notebook for philosophy on his desk, he looked up and made unexpected eye contact with Professor Mills. She must have arrived some time ago; her coat was already neatly folded over the back of her chair and her papers and books were in neat stacks on her desk.

He smiled and she looked quickly away, grabbing up a pen and starting some notes on a page in front of her.

David leaned back in his chair and tapped his pen to the desk. He definitely enjoyed this class, but Regina Mills was a bit of an enigma.

* * *

David yawned as he pushed the cart down the next aisle. He’d had to stay late at the office, helping fix several last minute problems that had cropped up on one of their current jobs. It was Saturday, so fortunately, he’d been available all day and hadn’t needed to pawn it off on one of his hard-working colleagues. After staying up last night working on homework, however, and knowing he had his drafting project due Wednesday, he knew he was in for another long day tomorrow. 

Still, he needed to eat, and his mother had instilled a love of cooking in him, so he always took the time to do it right. That’s how he’d found himself at the store at eleven o’clock at night. At least the store was mostly empty so he’d be able to finish up and pay quickly. He found the rice he was looking for, tossed it in next to the piles of fresh vegetables and headed toward the meat. It was there he saw Professor Mills, looking critically at the options in the cooler. 

He briefly considered ducking down the next aisle and coming back once she was gone, but the next moment he realized how foolish that sounded, so he straightened up and continued forward.

“Professor,” he greeted, and for a moment, she tensed, as if preparing to have a conversation about grades or homework, but it changed to surprise when she looked up. 

“Oh, David.”

“I hope I didn’t intrude,” he told her. “I came for the chicken and steak,” he gestured at the meats. “Maybe even some hamburger.”

“Not at all. I was thinking you were another student come to complain about the homework load or ask me a question about the current assignment,” she explained, watching him add things to his cart. “You’re not going to do that, right?” She clarified.

“Just here for the meat,” he promised. “But I thought it’d be rude to pretend I didn’t see you here.”

She chuckled. “I’m not used to running into anyone this late, it’s part of why I started coming at this hour. What brings you to the store so late?”

“Long day at work, but Sunday is my cooking day to prep everything for the week, so I wanted to get it out of the way tonight.”

“What’s work for you?” she wondered.

“Nolan and Sons Construction.” 

She raised a brow, “Nolan as in…”

“David Nolan? Yes, my father started the business and I inherited it last year when he passed. My brother never had  _ any  _ interest in the work, so he left home at eighteen and did his own thing. It was too much trouble to change the name.”

“So you’re taking college courses while running your own business?” she wondered, and he felt a bit of pride when he saw her looking slightly impressed.

“I can’t take all the credit. I have a great crew and they’ve been helping me keep things going while I work toward  _ my  _ dream - becoming an architect.”

She leaned on her cart handle, forgetting her own rule of no school talk outside of campus. “So why philosophy?” she wondered.

“I enjoy broadening my horizons,” he smiled. “I’m very much enjoying your class, by the way.”

She grinned and his heart stuttered for a moment - she had  _ never  _ smiled like that in class. It was absolutely infectious, and he couldn’t help but grin back.

“It’s refreshing to see someone my own age in the classroom from time to time.”

“Yes, well I was a little nervous at first to be back in school - I was worried I’d be playing a lot of catch up, but it hasn’t been too bad.”

“Well if my class is anything to go by, I’d say you have nothing to worry about.”

“That’s good to hear,” he smiled. 

She stood up, clearing her throat and suddenly looked a little uncomfortable, most likely remembering she was chatting with a student. 

“I should let you get back to shopping,” David told her with a smile. “It was nice running into you.”

“You, as well. I’ll see you Tuesday.”

He gave a small wave as he moved on to the next items on his grocery list. It had been a surprising interaction. Professor Mills was not a talkative teacher and she rarely humored conversation if it veered off topic. She wasn’t a get-to-know-you professor in any sense of the word. Point of fact, he wouldn’t have believed she’d even know his name if he hadn’t heard her say it minutes ago. That had also been a pleasant surprise. And he couldn’t help but feel a little satisfied that his favorite professor knew his name.

* * *

Two weeks later, David was running in the park Thursday evening after classes let out to get a little extra exercise in. He’d been on site for work all morning before class, and after dropping by this evening, Emma told him they were nearly finished today anyway and to head home. So instead, he grabbed his gym bag, changed, and made for his favorite running spot. He was on mile two when he noticed out of his periphery that someone had joined him and was matching pace. 

He almost stumbled when he realized it was Professor Mills. 

“I thought it might be you,” she said. 

“We meet again.” 

“Mind if I join you?”

“Not at all.”

They ran side by side for another mile before David signaled he was done. She slowed with him and matched his walking.

“Do you normally run here?” she wondered, slightly out of breath. “I don’t remember seeing you before.”

“I try as often as I can, but it’s not much,” he told her. “You?”

“Every week day after class.”

“Dedication.”

She shrugged. “I have a sedentary job.” 

“Still...kudos.” They were still a ways from the parking lot, but they walked at a leisurely pace. “I used to come a few mornings a week before work, but with school added into the mix, I’m usually not up before I have to be.”

“Understandably. Do you have much school left?”

“Two quarters after this one and I’ll be done. I started a few months after my father died.”

“I’m sorry,” she told him, frowning into the distance.

“We were close, but he didn’t want me to do anything outside of the plan  _ he  _ had for me. I had a hard time doing anything that would disappoint him. He didn’t meet my mom until he was in his forties. I think he wasn’t expecting to have kids, so when he did, he went overboard planning our futures. When my brother totally rejected it, he doubled down with me.”

“I have an overbearing mother, so I know what you mean.”

“Oh?” 

“She wanted me to be a doctor, so you can imagine her thrill when I subverted her wishes by getting a doctorate in philosophy.”

He laughed at her triumphant smile. “Finding a way to work within the system?”

“It has  _ ever _ been a talent of mine.” Her smile turned wistful. “Philosophy was a love my father passed to me. He was always reading to me when I was young, and I remember afternoons in his study, his shelves were full of all the greats; not just philosophers, but astronomers, mathematicians, collections of art. He was obsessed with the renaissance.”

“And you caught the bug?”

“I did. I always had it, but he died when I was still in college, and that’s when I decided I wanted to teach philosophy. I wanted to attempt to share at least a little of the gift my father had given me.”

“It sounds like a fine way of doing what you love and honoring him at the same time.”

“I hope so,” she smiled plaintively.

They slowed as they reached the parking lot. “It was nice running into you,” she told him sincerely, pulling a key fob from her pocket.

“It was. Thank you for the wonderful chat, Professor Mills.” 

She stopped at a clean white hybrid and paused with the door open. “When we’re not at school, you can call me Regina. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He nodded with a smile, “See you tomorrow.”

* * *

After that evening, David felt Regina’s gaze more acutely in class. They never spoke directly to each other, aside from the few times he’d be the one to answer her questions. He, too, did his very best not to pay any special attention to her. He understood her silent request that their budding friendship remain outside the classroom.

Still, he couldn’t help the occasional glance and every once in a while, he’d catch her looking back, a hidden smile playing on her features.

* * *

“I’m starting to think you might be following me.”

David turned from his place at the bar where he was having his meal and smiled when he found Regina standing there. It had been a long day and he wasn’t feeling up to cooking, so he instead found himself at the bar of his favorite restaurant. 

“Who’s following who?” He asked teasingly. “It seems I was here first.”

“Fair enough,” she conceded with a laugh.

“Join me?” He wondered, gesturing at the empty chair beside him.

She stepped up into it, hanging her bag and coat on the back. “I have to wonder if we’ve always been running into each other and never noticed.”

David hummed his disagreement, waiting to finish his last bite before saying, “I would have remembered seeing you.”

“Not if we didn’t know each other.”

“Trust me, even then.” 

She laughed. “Well that’s horribly cheesy of you to say.”

“It may be cheesy, but it’s true. I  _ am  _ a little surprised that it didn’t happen earlier, especially considering so many of our usual spots seem to overlap. Maybe it was fate,” he teased.

She rolled her eyes a little, but wore a warm smile that softened the effect. “I don’t know about that. You’re my student, I’d hardly say the timing is great. I make it a rule not to involve myself personally with students.”

“I’m hardly your average student.”

“It’s not just about age, if it was—” she stopped her own thought in its tracks and continued with, “I don’t want anyone to get the impression anyone has an unfair advantage. It’s why I avoid getting to know my students or seeing them outside of class.”

He nodded. “I can understand that. Though I must say I’m quite glad you’ve bent the rules a bit in my case.”

She grinned nervously, and he was struck again by the power this woman’s smile had over him. “I am, too. However,” her smile dimmed a bit, “You’re still my student.”

Again he nodded, then took a sip of his drink. “There’s not much left of the quarter. Not much left of my being a student of the school, either.”

“It’s not a hard and fast rule of the university, I just—”

“Regina, you don’t have to explain, I understand, and I would never want to do anything that would make you uncomfortable or place you in an awkward position,” he assured, but he felt the warm buzz of excitement knowing she apparently felt the same about him as he’d come to feel about her. 

“You’re okay waiting?”

He thought back to the beginning of the quarter to the intriguing teacher, mysterious and seemingly closed off to her students. Over the last few months of running into her, she’d given him a beautiful gift, opening herself up to him and he’d shared himself in return. He couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to give that up. “Of course.” 

Her return smile had none of the nerves from before. “Good.”

* * *

He managed to get through graduation day and the following celebration with his friends and family without seeming like he was in a rush. He  _ was _ excited, and happy to be spending time and celebrating with all of them, but he was full of anticipation for the part of the day he was looking most forward to; that evening. 

When it was finally time, he made his excuses, thanking everyone and leaving the bar.

It was still early evening when he pulled into the park. Regina must have arrived only moments earlier - he spotted her car in the lot and she was only just stepping out as he passed.

David pulled in a few spots down from her, nervous excitement building as she waved and made her way toward him. He put the keys in his pocket and closed the door, taking a few large steps toward her, a grin on his face. She grinned back.

When he was only a few feet from her she opened her arms as he did the same and stepped into him as he enveloped her in a tight hug.

This beautiful, hard-ass, wonderful woman had become his best friend. Opening up to her had felt so natural and easy, and she’d expressed the same to him, surprised that breaking her own rules suddenly seemed so unimportant to her.

“I’m not a student anymore,” he told her, finally pulling back enough to look down at her.

“And I’m no longer your professor,” she grinned again.

“So, Regina…” he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, feeling giddy at the sight of her smile and their newfound freedom. “I’d like very much to date you. May I take you on a walk and then to dinner?”

She moved her arms up to slide over his shoulders and pull herself to her toes as he leaned down to meet her. She was a wonderful kisser and as much as he wanted to keep going, they noticed a family approaching and pulled apart.

“I would love that,” she answered instead. 

They turned and David felt her slip her hand into his, leaning into him as they walked. He brushed his thumb along the back of her hand.

Waiting even a few months to be with her had been hard, but it was nothing if it meant they had the chance to spend the rest of their lives together.

  
  



End file.
